Tobacco-extractor



APPLIC H J. PENN.

OBACCO EXTRACTOR.

ATION FILED APR. IL 1919.

Patented July 29, 1919.

THE Col.

uMmA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHIN uuuuuuu c.

HARRY J. PENN, OF MADISON, NORTH CAROLINA.

ToBAcoo-Ex'rnAo'ron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed April 12,1919. Serial No. 289,648.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. PENN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Madison, in the county of Rockingham and State of NorthCarolina, have invented a new and useful Tobacco-Extractor, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to tobacco plug extractors and has for its objectthe provision of an implement whereby a plug of tobacco may be separatedand removed from the box or container in which it is packed withoutloosening the remainder of the contents and is particularly intended forthe convenience of the retail salesman.

Considerable difliculty is often experienced in removing plug tobaccofrom the boxes in which it is packed, due to the compact condition inwhich it is necessary to press the plugs to retain the moisture in thetobacco and many expedients are resorted to in order to loosen thetobacco to be sold and at the same time leave the balance undisturbed,it being the common practice to loosen the sides of the container, whichnot only renders the same unfit for future use but permits the air toenter and dry out the tobacco, which is very undesirable. Although myextractor may be used effectively to withdraw plugs of tobacco from anykind of a container, it is designed particularly to be used inconjunction with the tobacco container and tobacco caddy shown anddescribed in Letters Patent Nos. 1,030,744 and 1,030,745, issued to meon June 25, 1912.

In the drawing: K

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a tobacco container withthe invention shown in elevation;

gig. 2 is a perspective view of the device; an

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the device.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference the numeral 1designates a tobacco container having a groove 2 formed in one of thesides thereof. At 3 is shown a shank made of stout wire stock andprovided at one end with a ring 4 to form a handle for manipulating theimplement.

The end of the rod remote from the handle end is flattened for adistance as shown at 5 and is provided at the end with a hook 6, theforward edge 7 of the hook being formed at approximately right-angles tothe length of the shank, and the rear face 8 formed at an angle to theforward face to define a wedge member with a cutting edge 9. The sidesof the wedge member lie parallel with the flattened portion of the shankand the flattened portion and wedge are approximately of the samethickness.

The flattened portionis provided with a series of spaced apertures 10,into one of which is secured a pin 11. As hereinbefore stated theextractor is intended for use with my improved tobacco container or withmy tobacco caddy, but it may also be used in connection with a box notprovided with the groove 2, by forcing the comparatively thin flattenedend portion between the end of the plug and the box. In either case thetool with the hook end lying flat and parallel with the side of the boxand the pin 11 upstanding is introduced under the plug of tobacco untilthe pin strikes the plug, this serves as a stop gage and the wedgemember will then be located with its edge 9 at the back of the plug tobe withdrawn. A quarter turn of the handle causes the wedge to enter thejoint between two plugs and force the forward plug away from theremainder of the tobacco in the box.

The forward face of the wed e member abuts the plug to be removed andthe inclined face acts against the adjacent part of the caddy to breakthe forward plug away from the remainder so that the plug may be readilyremoved.

In this way the heretofore tedious operation of extracting a single plugof tobacco is greatly facilitated and the unsold portion of the box iskept in good condition.

It is to be understood that although the preferred embodiment of theinvention has been shown, minor changes may be made in the device withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is l. A device forextracting tobacco plugs from a container, comprising a shank providedwith a laterally projecting hook; and a projection extending from oneside of the shank and spaced from the hook 1ongitudinally of the shank,the projection being disposed substantially at right angles to the hook,the projection constituting a plug engaging stop serving to locate thehook with respect to the plug to be extracted, the opposite side of theshank being smooth and unencumbered to facilitate the insertion of theshank and the hook between the plug and the container and to permit arotation of the shank whereby to engage the hook With the plug to beextracted.

2. A tobacco extractor embodying a shank provided at one end With ahandle and at the other with a Wedge shaped hook adapted to be insertedunder a plug of tobacco in a container to facilitate Withdrawal of theplug, the shank being provided With a plurality of openings; and a pinmounted in one of the openings and disposed at right angles to thehook,' the pin constituting a stop limiting the insertions 'In testimonythat I claim the. foregoing 20 as my own, I have hereto afliXed mysignature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

HARRY J. PENN.

Witnesses: I

J. H. MOORE, I J. O. RAGSDA E.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

